If Not For The Arrow
by Frogs
Summary: what would happen if Katniss didn't shoot the arrow at Cato? How would the story end? Find out in this story!
1. Chapter 1

Katniss' POV

Cato had just fallen off the cornucopia, I was scarred and in Peeta's safe embrace. After I pulled away from Peeta I held up my bow, an arrow locked on Cato but I just couldn't release it, it wasn't that I wanted him to suffer, it was just that I thought he would live, and if he had a chance I wanted him to keep it. So, I locked the bow on one of the dogs instead.

"What are you doing Katniss?" Peeta asked, looking at me like I had gone mental.

"I can't kill him. If he has a chance to live I want him to have it and I know I am probably demented but I just can't do it. Please understand."

Peeta nodded and looked back at Cato as I released the arrow at the first huge dog, it hit him in the eye and the mutt fell to the ground with a thud.

_So, the eye is the weak spot, _I thought happily. I shot the arrow at the second dog, and finally the last one all of them falling down. Peeta and me hopped down from the cornucopia. I was the first to go over Cato. He was a mess, his left arm was half way ripped off, his right leg was also practically missing, and the rest of his body was full of bleeding bite marks.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, hoping he would not try to kill me.

"What do you think?"

I looked at Peeta. "He's alright."

"You think I'm alright?" he said trying to raise an eyebrow but failing.

"Shut up and be thankful I saved you!"

He shut up and laid back down on the bloody grass. I walked over to Peeta.

"We need to move him to the cave," I said already walking back over to help get him to stand up.

"Put your left arm around my shoulder and your right around Peeta, quickly."

He smirked but did as he was told. Me and Peeta lugged him over to the cave. I went in first and helped Cato down. After he was in I laid him in the corner of the cave as Peeta climbed in.

"I'm going to get some food, I'll be back," Peeta said, coming over and giving me a hug before leaving.

"See ya," I said as he walked out of the cave.

"Aw, so cute," Cato said sarcastically.

"Shut up," I said, again. Walking over to him to check out him wounds and see what i could do with out leaving him. They were pretty bad. I got up and went over to our food and water storage. I grabbed one of the two canisters that were filled with water, and walked back over to Cato. I sat down beside him.

"Whoa whoa what are you doing?" Cato asked scooting away from me a little bit.

"It's water to wash up your wounds, I can't see how bad they are with out washing them."

I started to pour some on his leg and he quivered, slightly moving away.

"Come on, I need to put it on for you to get better," I sated.

"It burns, Katniss," Cato said. Just then Peeta walked in.

"I'll hold him down," he said walking over and pining Cato to the ground. I poured the water in his leg wound first and then on his arm, he cried out in pain the whole time barely holding back tears.

"I'm so sorry," I'd breath every time he screamed. When it was finally over Peeta climbed off of him and I pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Shhh, it's all over."

Peeta was sitting over in the corner away from us, not being very good with comforting people. I cradled him in my arms, trying to get him to stop bawling. I looked over at Peeta and he looked extremely jealous. So, I gave him a smile and he returned it. Once the screaming had stopped Cato had fallen asleep so I set him down and- without thinking- kissed his cheek. Then I went over to Peeta.

"What was that?" Peeta whispered yelled at me.

"Nothing. Now go to sleep," I said snuggling into his chest. He put his arm around me and fell asleep. I was too awake to sleep.

"Can't sleep?" Cato asked from the other side of the room.

"Yeah, why are you up?" I asked, curiously.

"Ugh, just, I don't know. Can't sleep I guess."

I walked over to the half of the cave that he was on, and sat down next to him snuggling my knees to my chest.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Cato asked .

"I don't know I just couldn't," I lied smoothly.

"Liar."

"Fine, I didn't kill you because if you had a chance to live I wanted you to have that chance," I was looking at the floor as I said it. Cato sat up. I looked over at him and our eyes locked. I looked away first.

"Thank you," he whispered after I looked away.

"You're welcome. How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

It feel silent. Somewhere between the next half hour we crashed. The next morning I woke up to puking sounds.

I found Peeta outside the cave throwing up into a shrub. I went over to him and felt his forehead. He was burning up, again.

"Peeta come on you need to get inside,"


	2. Chapter 2

Katniss' POV

I walked Peeta back over to the cave and he laid down on the cool floor trembling a little.

"What happened to him?" Cato asked as soon as we shuffled through the entry.

"He is... well I don't know. What happened to you?"

"I woke up, saw you and Cato asleep, I was cold, then I had to puke and that was were you found me..." he trailed off.

I though about that.

"Where did you get the food from yesterday?" I asked as I walked over to the food that we had ate yesterday and examined it.

"I don't remember."

I picked up the one grape he had brought back and carefully looked at it. Just as I had suspected it had a bunch of worm type creatures crawling around it. It must of been another thing that the Capitol planned.

"Peeta I am so sorry to tell you this but, you're going to die unless sponsor sends you the treatment," I sighed, tears halfway rolling down my face, but I wasn't really crying because I knew Haymitch would help us get the treatment no matter how much convincing it took. We'd just have to wait a few days until he did anything.

"Katniss..."

I walked over into Peeta arms laying down in the process, I snuggled as close as I could and buried my head in the crook of his neck.

I bent down and softly kissed his lips. I looked over Peeta's shoulder at Cato and found him clenching and unclenching his fists, his knuckles turning white every time. I pulled back from Peeta and went to talk with Cato, Peeta was asleep as soon as I sat down next to Cato.

"What's wrong?" I asked solemnly.

"Nothing."

"Come on Cato. I know something was wrong, you were practically breaking your hands when me and Peeta kissed," he clenched his fists again when I said _when me and Peeta kissed_.

"It was nothing, just... let it go," he wouldn't look me in the eyes when he said it.

"Okay. So do you want to play... 20 questions?"

"No."

"How about truth or Dare?"

"Fine."

"You first, then," I gestured to him.

"Truth or Dare, Katniss?" he asked finally looking in my eyes.

"Dare."

"Okay, I dare you too... tell me who you like better, me or Peeta?"

"Umm... in what way?"

"Like like," he smirked at me and then gave me his very best smile.

"Let me let you in on a little secret," I moved closer to him and whispered in his ear, "I'm only pretending to be in love with Peeta, but Peeta really does like me," I pulled back.

"Really?" he looked completely shocked. I nodded.

"Well you still have to answer the question," he smirked.

"Maybe it's you and maybe it's Peeta, guess you will never know because I am going to bed," I said getting ready to lay down. Before I even started to lay down Cato grabbed my chin and made me look into his eyes, we sat there staring at each other for what felt like 30 minutes but was probably only 10 minutes. He then let go of my chin and I laid down but this time facing Cato.

I woke up to a beeping noise the next morning in Cato's arms. I got up and walked outside the entrance of the cave. I looked around and found 3 canisters I opened the on that was closets, it contained a loaf of bread. I grabbed the last two and walked inside the cave to open them. When I walked into the cave Peeta was up but Cato was still as dead as a rock.

I walked over to Peeta and sat beside him and read the note that was with the bread.

_Tell the truth, Katniss_

Was the note in with the first one. Peeta turned and looked at me.

"What are you lying about Katniss?" he asked staring at me blankly.

"Nothing that you need to worry about," I answered still looking at the note.

I grabbed the second container and opened it quickly, trying to forget the last note. I opened it and found some water in it, I took the note out and read.

_So do you like him or not, Katniss?_

Ugh, why were they all about me? I asked myself.

"Katniss what does this mean?" Peeta asked.

"I have no idea Peeta."

I opened the last one and found Peeta medication. I hugged Peeta and showed him the inners. He kissed me on the forehead. I took out the note a read.

_More, we need more._

Okay well at lest that one wasn't totally about me. I thought again.

"More what?" Peeta asked. Wow he was seriously stupid if he didn't know that they were talking about more kisses, more hugs, more snuggling, stuff like that. When I realized that he really didn't know what it meant I explained it to him. Then I went to make us some soup to go with the bread for breakfast.

**A/N: Hey people of FanFiction you know I love you guys but I know I not the most reagular updater but I am still going to say I might be updating tomomorow but after that it may be a while before I update it is just I have finals coming up and my Brithday is monday and everything is just crazy so it may be a little while before I update I am not saying this to make you sacred that I will never update because I will it just may not be until summer break that I update again . **

** Your reviwer/ reader/ writter/ anything that you know me as,**

** Caitlin/ Frogs/ Katie!**


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